Unexpected Attraction
by Dramione13
Summary: Draco begins to question his reason to live when he receives some unexpected news one day. But everything changes when he crosses paths with the hate of his life.
1. Shoulder To Cry On

**Author's Note: **Hello! So, for some reason I got inspired to write another dramione out of the blue. Let me know what you guys think or if I should continue this story. :)

**Disclaimer: **J.K. Rowling owns it all. I only own this plot.

**Summary:** Story takes place during HBP era, mostly AU.

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><p><strong>Chapter 1: Shoulder To Cry On<strong>

It had been raining nonstop all Saturday afternoon and Hermione noticed that Draco had yet to come back inside. Ever since that morning, when she had seen him from across the great hall, she hadn't been able to look away when he'd received that owl or avoid his subsequent reaction. It was pure coincidence when she had looked up in the first place. And now, she didn't even know why she cared so much. Draco was far from pleasant to her or her friends but she couldn't help herself. Especially since she saw his facial expression before he abruptly left. Usually, he was so good at keeping his face deviant from emotions. But in that one moment, his perfectly composed masked had slipped off and in its place was a face of pure sorrow.

So she made a choice at that moment. Right after breakfast, she tried to excuse herself from Ron and Harry, claiming that she needed to speak with Professor Slughorn. But that proved to be a big mistake. She realized then that she should have said that she needed to go to the library because she had to pretend to walk towards his office with both of them. For some reason, they had insisted that they should walk her over. She assumed it was their attempt to be more chivalrous. So with a roll of her eyes, she let the boys walk her over.

However, once they had turned the corner and sent her a final wave of goodbye, she walked back towards the main entrance as stealthily as possible, keeping to the shadows. She watched from a hidden corridor as people walked in and out of the door. But still there was no sign of that tall, silver blond haired boy. After waiting for an hour, she finally made her way towards a window and saw that he was actually sitting by himself near the black lake as the rain drone on.

_Is he crazy?_ she thought to herself. _Why on earth is he still sitting there in the open?_

With a final sigh and a cast of a water repellent charm, she walked out of the building and towards him.

She tried to be as quiet as she could while making her way over but, to her dismay, she still couldn't avoid the branches and leaves that crunched under her feet. She argued with herself that she should have casted a muffilato charm but it was too late now.

Though, as she got nearer, she noticed that he was soaked through and that his shoulders were actually shaking softly as he was gasped softly. She also noticed that he had a bottle of firewhiskey in one of his hands. As she got closer, his shoulders frozed in their shaking however.

_Oh no_, she thought.

But it was too late. He had heard her coming. Without even turning his head around, he spoke up:

"Well, well, well. If it isn't my favorite know-it-all _Mudblood_? To what do I owe this pleasure?"

"Who says I'm here for you?" she replied nonchalantly.

At that comment, Draco turned his head towards her and lifted an eyebrow. "Are you telling me that you just decided to come out for walk in the rain, for your own amusement?"

He then scoffed. "And you're supposed to be smart."

Despite her worry for him, she felt her face get red and her lips curl at his last comment.

"I don't have to defend or explain my actions to anyone. Least of all you, ferret-face,"she snapped.

At her retort, he gave a single mirthless chuckle and shifted his grey eyes towards the lake. She took that moment to take in his face. Instead of keeping his usual blank composure, he didn't seem to care that she was seeing his red puffy eyes or the tears that seemed to drip down his face along with the raindrops. She felt her heart break for him at the sight.

After staring at him for what she felt to be a long time, she turned her face towards the lake like he.

They watched in silence, with Draco still sitting and Hermione standing. At that moment, the giant squid was breaking the surface every other minute as it seemed to relish the rain. Currently, it had decided to make flips as they watched on. But their temporary truce didn't last long.

"I bet you're loving this," he said in a bitter tone, breaking their silence.

"Loving what?" she asked.

He looked back at her. "The fact that you've caught me in this state. Tell me, are you going to run back to Potty and the Weasel and tattle on what you've seen?"

She rolled her eyes at him. "What are we in? Primary school? Why would I do such a thing?"

He smirked then. "Oh yes, I forgot. You're a _Gryffindor_," he quipped, "all compassion and bravery. Empathy and love..."

At these words, she noticed that his tone carried none of the fire or spite it usually did. Instead, he trailed off at the last word he called out as he returned his gaze back to the lake.

Hermione had no idea what to do. She felt uncomfortable. Never before had she seen Draco in such a vulnerable state. Or seen him drinking.

Just as she was debating what to do next, he answered for her.

"Just go. I don't care who you tell what you've seen. Leave."

At his words, Hermione made her way over to his left and sat down next to him. The smell of the Firewhiskey wafted over but she ignored it.

He looked over at her and frowned.

"Are you deaf? I said _leave_. Not _stay_, Mudblood."

"You know, that word doesn't really affect me as much as you think it does," she answered.

She then ignored him as his frown deepend and turned her gaze back to the lake while she clasped her arms around her knees.

They continued sitting together despite Draco's reprimand, both of them lost in their own thoughts. Draco took another swig of his bottle as the rain had reduced itself to a drizzle.

After a few more moments of silence, she decided to break it.

"You know...my mother always says that when it rains, it means that God is sad."

He scoffed at this."Right."

"I, on the other hand, believe that's a load of rubbish. Especially since we are in a country that rains for more than half the year. If that were a true statement-my mother's statement-then God is never happy."

"What the hell is your point?" he asked in irritation.

"Didn't really have one honestly," she answered sheepishly.

Draco chuckled softly and took another drink.

She then decided to take that chance and asked, "Malfoy, what's wrong?"

"Huh. What makes you think something's wrong?" he countered in a slur.

She looked at him expectantly while his neutral face turned to a scowl.

"What's it to you? And what makes you think I'm going to share anything with you?"

"I'm just curious," she answered, "this behavior is so unlike you."

"And? You think I'm just going to open up to you and spill my guts to you? Wake up, Granger," he snapped, "just because you've decided to follow me out here doesn't mean that I appreciate the gesture."

"I didn't expect you to-"

"And while we're at it", he continued while cutting her off, "You and I are_ not_ friends and never will be. So just go back to your two idiot lap dogs and let me be."

At his retort, Hermione got angry and stood up.

"You know what? I am a _prefect_. I can report you for this behavior."

"Yeah? Well, go ahead. I don't give a fuck on what you do," he retorted.

He also stood up, albeit a bit shaky, and came closer to stand in front of her face.

"Better yet, run along and do it now. I _want_ you to," he said in a low voice.

Despite her anger, Hermione stood there, standing her ground and staring back. Her deep brown eyes challenging his grey ones.

Her prefect mindset kept telling her that she should just run away and do as he says. But her empathetic side kept telling her to stay and disregard his prevoius words.

_It has to be the tone of his voice_, she reasoned. And his behavior overall wasn't letting her leave him alone she concluded.

He just seemed so…sad. She couldn't help but stay.

Meanwhile, Draco kept his penetrating gaze on her while he asked himself in furstration, _Why isn't she running away yet? Why the fuck does she even care?_

And then suddenly, like a light switch, he relaxed his scowling features as he really took in her face.

_She's actually quite pretty_, he mused, _No wonder Potter and Weaselbee are always around like guard dogs_.

And then, without thinking it thoroughly, he leaned in the few inches between them and kissed her.


	2. Little Bird

**Author****'****s****Note:**Ok, so the title has nothing to do with this chapter BUT it's actually the title of a song by The Weepies. I was listening to it as I wrote the chapter and the song is just so moving I had to use the title. IF you've never heard this song, I recommend. Anyway, onward with this new chapter. It's a bit strong but I hope it satisfies people's curiosity on the letter. :)

**Disclaimer**: J.K. Rowling owns it all. I only own this plot.

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><p><strong>Chapter 2: Little Bird<strong>

_What __the __hell __was __I __thinking_? he questioned himself as he sat in front of the fireplace in the Slytherin common room, staring at the flames. _Better __yet,__why __wasn__'__t __I __thinking? _He shook his head then. _Fucking F__irewhiskey.__Fucking __hell._

Luckily for him, many of his friends and house mates were scarce or not around. Since it was a Saturday, many had opted to go to Hogsmeade while the younger students seem to keep to themselves in various parts of the room. For that, he was grateful. He didn't want to have any run-ins with Blaise or Theo who were sure to pick up that something wasn't right. Again. Not to mention Pansy.

It had been two hours since he had kissed the Mudblood and couldn't stop thinking about it. Of all the important things to be going through his mind, that should _not_ be one he should be reevaluating. He blamed the alcohol for his actions. He had done it without a second thought and his inhibitions had been lowered beyond his control. Anyway, it was her fault. Why had she even followed him to begin with? It was none of her damn business.

That morning had been rough to say the least. First, he had not been able to sleep well the night before or the night before that. He had been having issues shutting off his brain. His thoughts kept rotating back to the same thought since had returned from Christmas break: his mother.

It had been a pretty bleak holiday to say the least. His mother for sometime had not been doing well. When he had arrived home from Hogwarts, she had kept complaining about her bone joints hurting and she had fevers throughout that first week. He and his father did what they could, trying to make her feel comfortable, even having one of the house elves stay day and day night for her care alone. Eventually, she emerged from her room looking better and said that she was fine. But when they had thought that the worse was over, she fell back to feeling terrible and this time she had fallen susceptible to anemia. She was also refusing to eat the food that the house elves would bring to her bed. Needless to say, they canceled their annual Malfoy Yule ball at the manor and attended to her needs, social circle gossip be damned.

When she still wasn't getting better, that began to really worry him and his father. Never before had she fallen so ill and so frequently and had not been able to fully recover. So as Draco returned to Hogwarts after the New Y ear holiday, his father took his mother to St. Mungo's right away with the promise of letting him know of his mother's health progress.

It had been two weeks since he had returned and he had yet to receive news from his father. He had been consumed with worry and had hoped that it wasn't anything serious. His distraction had reached the point where other people besides his housemates even realized that something wasn't quite right with him. He just wanted to have some news, a tidbit, something.

Finally, after worrying himself to the point of insanity, he received an owl from his father that morning. But sadly, the news it contained were not happy ones at all:

_"My son,_

_I apologize in advance for not keeping you abreast in regards to your mother's health sooner. In a way, I did not want to burden you with these news I have received and learned because they are not pleasant. But I believe you have a right to know since you bore witness to her decline in health and I am sure you are anxious to learn what has been happened to her since your return to Hogwarts._

_After an extensive analysis and testing that I forced the healers at St. Mungo's to conduct on your mother, they finally concluded that she has Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia, also known as CML. This is actually a muggle disease but they said it is not rare for wizards and witches to develop and it is not hereditary or contagious. They had tried to explain to me more of the general details of what this is but since they didn't have much information on hand, I decided to search them myself as soon as I was able. First, I had to make sure your mother was made comfortable in her bed and then tell Mipsy what potions your mother had to take in order to relieve her of her current pains._

_According to my research, this is a rare type of cancer that develops within the bone-marrow. Not to get into many of the details, but this means that the white blood cells that develop to fight off infection are growing abnormal. These are called granulocytes and these granulocytes that are growing abnormally do not become healthy white blood cells. They are also known as leukemic cells and they apparently can build up in the blood and bone marrow, thereby reducing the room for reproduction of healthy white blood cells, red blood cells, and platelets. In result, this causes changes in one's immune system. This is the main reason why your mother had fallen ill with such frequency._

_I have also researched treatment and prognosis. Sadly, this is what I did not want to share with you. There is no current potion or spell that can fully heal her at the moment or that is available. Currently, there has been testing and experimentation being conducted and it is still ongoing at St. Mungo's. Sadly, nothing has been declared as a safe or decent or secure treatment yet. Furthermore, according to muggle texts, bone marrow transplantation is the only form of treatment which is known to improve survival and possibly cure CML but it does come with various caveats. First, it is dependent of the person reacting positively to this thing called chemotherapy. Secondly, it is a high-risk procedure and carries with it its own set of complications. Lastly, there needs to be a willing donor of this bone-marrow. Apparently, availability is usually scarce since the donating procedure itself is pretty brutal. However, if this CML goes without getting treated, this could also mean us losing her forever within a matter of years._

_I know this sounds like the most worst of news but I have not given up hope that we will beat this CML and make your mother right again. Currently, I am conducting more research with the help of some contacts, trying to see if other wizarding hospitals around Europe have had any success or breakthrough in a wizadring cure before we even consider this muggle option. I don't fancy us having to reduce to such medieval techniques but if there is none other available, I am afraid we may have to consider going down this route…"_

After reading that last paragraph, Malfoy just couldn't keep reading on. He had to get away from all the clamor and happy chatter from the Great Hall. He needed to get out, needed to get away from it all, needed room to breathe. And so, before any of his house mates could comment or look his way, he stood up abruptly and left the hall without a second glance.

He went straight to his dorm room first and locked himself in. Thankfully, the room was empty since everyone was still either at breakfast or out for the day. After casting a silencing charm, he let out the most loudest and frustrating scream and broke down. He then proceeded to toss things around his bed space, kicking his school trunk, even smashing his fist against the bed's headboard. After a few minutes of trying to physically work out his frustration, he sat on his bed, crying and panting while cradling his head in his hands. The storm outside seemed to be in synch with his current mood as the thunder then proceeded to clasp out loudly and the rain pounded even more loudly by the window panel.

It just wasn't fair. It just wasn't _fair_.

Why did his mother have to be the one to get CML? This same woman that would soothe him after his father would criticize to the point of demoralizing him. This same woman that would give him advice without being judgmental and offered it willingly. This same woman, that truly loved him as he was. How was it even possible for her to be the one to contract such a muggle disease to begin with?

He started to think back and sift through his memories for an indicator or a hint that might have triggered it. But all he could remember instead were those happy memories he had and had long forgotten or buried within his mind.

_I need to get out of here. Need to numb myself fast,_ he quickly thought as he rose from his bed. He then proceeded to right his dorm room with a quick wave of his wand despite the pain in his knuckles that he had bashed and then remembered something. He then hurried to Blaise's trunk and rummaged through it as briskly as he could.

_Aha_, he thought in triumph as pulled out the bottle of firewhiskey. He knew Blaise would argue with him later for taking it without his permission but at that moment, he could care less. With one last glance back at his dorm room and a wipe of his hand on his face, he walked out of the room and common room as quickly as he could without being seen.

As he made his way out of the castle, he saw that many people had opted to stay inside due to the rain so the courtyard was pretty empty. Still, just in case, he decided to walk himself further out until he hit the lake and plopped himself down without even bothering to cast a repellant charm or caring that his clothes would get wet and muddy.

As quickly as he could, he uncapped the firewhiskey and took a big gulp from the bottle, hoping that it would drown out the words from the letter that kept repeating themselves in his head:

_"…she has Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia…"_

_"…rare type of cancer…"_

_"…white blood cells that develop to fight off infection are growing abnormal …"_

_"…There is no current potion or spell that can fully heal her at the moment…"_

_"…could also mean us losing her forever…"_

_This is such** bullshit**,_ he growled to himself as he took another drink._ Why couldn't it have been father?_ He knew that it was terrible of him to wish his father this illness instead but he was just so distraught.

He and his father had never fully seen eye-to-eye for some time now, mostly because his father expected so much from him. And when he came up short, his father was relentless in his critique. Especially now during his schooling at Hogwarts, his father always pressured him that he needed to be the best in his class, number one if possible.

_"Malfoy's are never second best,"_ he would always say.

And so Draco tried to apply himself to the best of his ability. But to his dismay, a muggleborn witch without fail would outscore him all the time and made him look like a fool. His father was very good at rehashing that fact whenever he could.

_"You are a pureblood; you should be the one with those grades. You can't let this go on. This mudblood simply cannot be the one besting you. It should be the other way around…"_

And on and on his father would drone on about this for hours on end. So, to say the least, their relationship was fragile at best. So forgive him if he thought the worst should occur to him instead and not his mother.

As his mind kept repeating the letter in his head, he heard footsteps approaching from behind him and he froze. Of all the people to find him in this manner, it had to be Granger. Of course. Though he didn't look behind him, all he had to do was pinpoint that smell of apples. She always smelled of apples. He assumed it was the shampoo she used because she wasn't the type to wear perfume or even make up.

After their usual greeting and him trying to chase her away, he noticed that she wouldn't be leaving any time soon. So he ignored her until she started rambling on about the rain.

And then she proceeded to stick her nose where it didn't belong. Needless to say, this sparked anger within him. How dare she ask something that doesn't even concern her in the first place?

But then, when he saw those eyes looking at him so empathically and full of pity, he finally lost it.

At that point, he didn't care what she did. If he tattled on his behavior, it was a win for him. He would be able to go back home and care for his mother alongside his father.

If she didn't, then no big loss. Empty threats had never forced him to get scared anyway.

But then he proceeded to do something so stupid. He kissed her.

He _kissed _her.

Why he did so in the first place, he had no clue. He blamed the firewhiskey for his serious lack of judgment because he didn't even really like her. Sure she was decent to look at but that was it. He hated her. Especially since she has bested him at every subject, is a fucking know-it-all, a friend of potty and the weasel and a bushy haired mess.

So to his dismay, after his impromptu kiss, she had just stared back at him in shock for a few seconds and, without another word, had finally turned and ran back towards the castle while he was left standing there looking stumped.

_Fucking HELL!_ he thought again as he stood up from the sofa and started pacing in front of the fireplace. So now on top of everything, as if his mother's current health wasn't enough to be worrying about, he now had Granger added to his list. And it's not so much that he was worried about what she would say or do about it. He just didn't want her to get under the assumption that he liked her.

"What a fucking mess", he muttered.

Oh, the irony of this whole thing. Just as he was wishing for something to make him get away or forget about his current sadness, he got his wish fulfilled in the most unexpected way. He definitely succeeded in distracting himself for sure.

He sighed as he ran a hand over his hair and made his way back to his dorm room. Now that he had his reprieve and was sober once again, he needed to finish reading that letter and write a response back to his father.

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><p><strong>AN #1: Just want to do a little disclaimer about the whole subject of Leukemia that I added to this fanfiction. I AM NOT, I repeat, AM NOT an expert on the subject. Everything that I have written was based on details and facts that I found on various medical and science journals online. Furthermore, for the sake of this fanfic, I have modified and compressed some of the details. So please, I beg you, do NOT crucify me for taking such liberties. Thank you.**

**A/N #2: And on that note, PLEASE read and review. I will greatly appreciate it. **


	3. Crepuscolo Sul Mare

**Author's Note: **Well, this story has been long overdue for a new chapter so I apologize in advance for the lack of quick updates. I have been focusing the majority of my energies on "Starting Anew" and sadly that has caused this one to go to the back burner. I will update, however. Just not as frequently. I have a lot of ideas on how to spin this story, all of which I've written down in a trusty binder. So there will be more chapters in the future.

Also, in case you are wondering about the chapter title, it's actually Italian. The title reads "Dawn on the Sea" and it's the name of an instrumental composition by Italian composer, Piero Umiliani. I was listening to it as I wrote this chapter and thought it fitting. If you've never heard it, I recommend. It's beautiful.

Alright, enough with the updates. This chapter is dedicated to Frances (of-crimsonjoy) for her infinite patience. I hope you like it and that it's up to par. :)

Onward with the story!

**Disclaimer**: J.K. Rowling owns it all. I only own this plot.

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><p><strong>Chapter 3: Crepuscolo Sul Mare<strong>

_A week later_

Hermione was shifting her book bag as she walked towards Potions before she came to an abrupt halt. Across the hallway near the class door was Draco, walking slowly by himself down the hallway with his eyes on the floor and a grim expression on his face. He seemed to be oblivious of his fellow classmates that walked around him or the light-hearted chatter that buzzed.

Seeing him like this, she badly wanted to approach him but then thought better of it for the millionth time. It wasn't the first time she had to force herself to hold back. Besides, they weren't even friends and he would most likely sneer and make a snarky remark back at her instead like the last time they had spoken.

With a deep sigh, she picked up the pace, trying to beat him to class before he noticed her. Luckily, she succeeded and made her way towards the table she shared with Harry and Ron.

As she walked, she recalled the lake encounter. Again.

The whole thing (or the "Firewhiskey Incident" as she dubbed it) had been odd from beginning to end and it still puzzled her. He had acted so different from his typical cold self that it had unnerved Hermione very much. And then, when he kissed her, well…she had no idea what to make of that. She knew that the kiss most likely meant nothing to him and was probably a mistake. But that didn't stop her from thinking about it in slow motion every night when she lay in her bed.

It wasn't as though she had never been kissed. Hermione had kissed Viktor Krum during her fourth year. But never before had a boy kissed her like he had. She still remembered vividly how his lips had been so soft and inviting, his mouth warm and firm despite him tasting of Firewhiskey. Or how his tongue had coupled with hers gently before she broke their kiss abruptly.

He had been so tender and patient, a complete contrast to his personality and his behavior earlier that day.

_A walking/talking/kissing contradiction_, she thought to herself.

Needless to say, in result, she avoided Draco like the plague from that day onward and walked to places with someone whenever possible. She didn't trust herself alone around him anymore. The whole experience had left her feeling nervous and very conscious of his presence.

However, when they were in class together, her eyes had a way of straying to look at him much to her dismay; even when she didn't mean to do so. It was almost an unconscious reaction. She was just glad that no one had caught on or that he had noticed it. It was mortifying enough.

With a sigh and a quick shake of her head, she took her seat next to Ron. A move she regretted later. Currently, both he and Harry were discussing their likelihood of winning their next Quidditch match against Ravenclaw and stopped when they spotted her and smiled.

"Hey," Ron said shyly.

"Morning, Ron, Harry," she answered while she smiled back.

As Harry turned to his book bag to look for his quill and parchment, Ron cleared his throat and shot him a quick glance before he turned back to Hermione. He asked in a low voice, "So um….have you thought about what we…you know…talked about last night?" And then his face turned magenta.

Hermione cringed internally but said nothing for a few seconds. She had hoped that Harry would interrupt. But to her bad luck, he was oblivious at their interaction and was currently asking Seamus a question.

She was about to respond back when Professor Slughorn walked in while banging the class door loudly. All conversations stopped and eyes turned to meet the professor and he greeted them cheerily.

"Ah! Good morning class! Glad to see you all are here, at the ready. Now, today we are going to brew something that will be quite challenging for some of you…"

And on and on professor Slughorn droned, much to Hermione's relief. Meanwhile, Ron scoffed at her and turned his eyes towards the professor with a frown.

She knew their discussion was far from over and that thought made her anxious.

She didn't even know why she was dragging her feet. She should have said yes last night. In fact, she had been dreaming about this moment for the last two years, ever since the Triwizard tournament. So why was she hesitating now?

She had always liked Ron and, until quite recently, he seemed to have finally caught on and was returning her affections. His return, however, had been minimal, but she knew he meant well and meant it.

But now that she really had time to think about it, she didn't really know if she still felt the same or if she wanted Ron to be with her. Last night had been a very weird conversation to begin with:

"_Hermione! You're here!"_

_She looked up from her Transfiguration homework and frowned before she looked back down. "Of course I'm here. This is the Gryffindor common room, is it not?"_

"_Well, yeah but…you weren't around earlier. So I wasn't sure if you were in the library or in your room."_

_He quickly made his way to the table she was sitting, took a seat in an empty chair and faced her. Hermione looked up again and was taken aback when he took one of her hands. His face had turned red but he continued to hold it, looking determined. The room was practically empty so no one was really around to be making comments about his current actions._

_When she didn't say anything, he cleared his throat and asked, "So, how's your day been going?"_

"_It's been good…" she answered slowly. _

_What is he doing? she thought to herself._

"_Good good. That's good to hear." During his pause, he cleared his throat again, licked his lips and squeezed her hand._

_Hermione couldn't help but get curious at what he was going to say next. She bit her tongue to keep from asking anything and, after another second of silence, he began to speak._

"'_Mione, you know we've been friends for a long time now and I…uh…well…you know, most people have even thought that this is a good idea. Actually, long overdue and well…I just wasn't sure of myself...but you're so brilliant and smart and...umm…well…"_

_As he continued his stuttering, Hermione rolled her eyes. She should have known._

"_Ron, what is it? Did you want to copy my homework?"_

"_What? No! That's not it. It's just-umm…you see…I..."_

"_Well, spit it out. I have to finish this essay."_

"_Ok ok! I was wondering…well actually, I was hoping that you and me can…you know…"_

"_Ronald-"_

"_Willyoubemygirl?"_

_Hermione's mouth fell open as she stared back. Did he just ask what she thought she just heard?_

_When she continued to stare back in silence, Ron plowed on hastily, "I know that it's a big step and we're friends but I…I had to ask. I hope you feel the same because you seem to before. And I know I haven't been as attentive or responsive but that was me just being a stupid, blundering idiot. And well, I just hope that, you know, you do like me. More than a friend. Because I do..."_

_After a few more seconds, Hermione's eyes softened and asked, "What brought this on?"_

_He turned even redder but answered, "Oh, I just…I've been meaning to say this. But we never seem to have a good time to talk. So today I decided I would ask, no matter what."_

_And he smiled sheepishly as Hermione looked back at him, wonderstruck._

_When she still didn't answer, he gave the hand he held a little shake while looking a bit worried._

"_Umm, 'Mione? Hello? Still with me?"_

_She shook her head and said, "I'm sorry. I-you just caught me off guard."_

"_Sorry 'bout that," he replied with a smile before it slipped into an anxious look."So…what do you say? I know it's kind of sudden but…will you be my girl?"_

She sighed again and tried to shake her thoughts away as she made her way to the storage cupboard (she had volunteered herself while the boys set up their cauldron).

That morning had been interesting to say the least. Before she left the Gryffindor common room last night, she had told Ron to give her till the morning to answer since he had caught her off guard. He graciously agreed.

But then that morning, she purposely awoke and walked out of there before the crack of dawn and spent the rest of her time hiding in the library as she waited for breakfast to start.

When she walked into the Great hall, she avoided Ron and Harry and opted to sit between Ginny and Parvati. Ron caught sight of her then. At first he frowned for a bit before giving her a small smile and continued to talk with Harry and Dean. Harry and Dean shared a perplexed look when they saw Hermione but didn't comment on her seating choice or Ron's expression.

Then, as breakfast wrapped up, she announced in a loud voice that she had to give her Transfiguration essay another read through before handing it in and made to leave. But to her dismay, Ron tried to offer himself as an escort and began to stand. She turned him down quickly, gathering her things in a rush, saying, "Thank you for offering but I'll be fine. Besides, you still haven't finished your breakfast. I'll see you in class." And then she ran out of there before he could say another word. Her fellow Gryffindors stared after her in bewilderment while Ron scowled. But no one said a word.

She knew she was being unfair, childish and foolish. She was a bloody Gryffindor for Merlin's sake. But she was just so confused and her thoughts were a jumbled mess. She didn't want to confront any of her current issues just yet.

And then, while she was walking to class, she had spotted Malfoy walking down the hall and her thoughts automatically reverted to a week ago.

She felt as if she were at the receiving end of a bad revenge. On one hand, she had a boy that she hated kiss her, which in turn she kept repeating in her mind over and over again. Whether she wanted to or not. On the other, she had the boy that she had crushed on for many years finally confess and ask her to be his girl.

_Oh, why couldn't he have asked sooner?_ she thought in melancholy. Because then she would have said yes to him without any hesitation.

Now, with that Firewhiskey incident thrown into the mix, all of her thoughts and feelings had been turned upside down and tossed out the window.

As she returned to her lab table, her eyes automatically sought out Malfoy and saw that he was working with Blaise for the day. They both looked so absorbed that she didn't think they noticed her staring.

_Stop it_, Hermione, she reprimanded. _Why are you thinking about Malfoy? Why are you even looking at him?_

Yes, he may be a little bit different with his behavior since his return from Christmas break, maybe a little bit broody. But that shouldn't be any of her concern. Or even interest her in the least.

She turned her focus back on their Potions assignment. All the while trying to avoid looking back at Malfoy, ignoring Ron's staring and Harry's anxious look he was giving the two of them.

_Brilliant_, she thought bitterly, _now _he _knows that something's wrong between me and Ron._

* * *

><p>When class finally ended, the boys automatically waited for Hermione as she packed her things. Their other classmates had walked out of their class while the three of them remained behind. Even professor Slughorn had said goodbye to them before he walked out towards his office to prep for his next class of students.<p>

With a bit of quick thinking, she told the boys that she needed to talk to their professor and told them to go on without her.

"Fine," Ron grunted and walked out without another glance, clearly upset at her avoidance.

Harry stared at Ron's retreating form, bewildered. He turned to Hermione and asked, "What's his problem?"

"No idea," she lied.

At her reply, Harry's eyes narrowed as she took in her face and pursed his lips.

_Bugger_, she thought with a sigh, _here it comes_.

"Hermione," he began, "what's going on between you two? It's not hard to see that you're avoiding him."

"Nothing's wrong," she replied quickly.

"Don't lie to me. Something's happened and you're trying to avoid it."

She sighed again as she rubbed a hand over her forehead and closed her eyes briefly.

"Harry, I…I can't talk about it right now. Please don't be upset. Just take my word for it when I say that nothing major is wrong. Just…a minor hesitation on my part has him frustrated. But I will be talking to him soon."

He stared at her for a few moments, taking in her anxious features.

Finally, he took a deep breath and replied, "Ok, if you say so…"

He turned and began to walk towards the exit of the classroom.

As he neared the doorway, he turned back to her and said, "You do know that you can talk to me if you need to, right?"

A small smile pulled at her lips. "Of course."

He gave her a nod and continued to walk out into the hallway, disappearing in the throng of students walking about.

When he was gone from sight, Hermione let out a loud sigh.

Whether she wanted to or not, she would have to approach Ron and give him an answer today. Before lunch. The inevitable had to be resolved.

_Come now_, she reprimanded, _you're a Gryffindor. You can do this. Stop being a coward and an idiot._

With her mind made up, she grabbed her book bag and walked out of the classroom.

However, as soon as she exited, a hand flashed out and pulled her towards a dark corner. She let out a startled yelp as her back hit a wall but that same hand covered her mouth while the person hissed in her ear, "Will you _shut up_?"

Hermione blinked then as she took in the person in front of her and pulled the hand away. That was the closest she had ever stood to him and he looked like he couldn't decide between being annoyed and amused.

"What do you want?" she asked warily.

He narrowed his eyes at her before he sneered.

"I want you to stop staring at me."

Her eyes widened at his remark. She thought she had been discreet the whole time.

As if he guessed at her thoughts, he smirked.

"Thought I didn't notice, did you?"

"I haven't been-"

"Oh yes you have. Don't you dare deny it, you bint. I can feel your gaze and have been feeling your gaze for the past week."

She glared at him then. "Well, it hasn't been one of fascination if that's what you're thinking. "

A small chuckle escaped him. "Right. And Snape is your favorite teacher."

She narrowed her eyes at him but kept quiet. Meanwhile, his glare returned to his features. His eyes were the color of stormy rainclouds and his blond fringe of hair threatened to cover them.

"Just so you know," he began, "that kiss last week meant nothing."

"I know," she replied sarcastically.

"Never," he continued as his gaze drifted to her lips and back to her eyes, "and I mean never, in my right pureblood mindset, would I lower myself to touch a Mudblood. Let alone kiss one for that matter."

"And yet, here you are, putting a hand over my mouth," she snapped.

He smirked cruelly at her response and leaned closer, placing both hands against the wall, trapping her.

"Cute," he whispered. "Anyway, I know I am irresistible and all but please, for the love of Salazar, stop with your damn infatuated gazing."

She scoffed, "As if I could be infatuated with you!"

"Just wanted to get that clear, since you seem to be obsessed with me."

"I am not obsessed with you!" she seethed.

She then made to shove him away from her harshly. But to her dismay, he barely budged.

"Damn it, Malfoy. _Move_. I have to get to class."

He smirked at her for a minute before he began to move away slowly.

She huffed and began to walk away. But before she could get far, she heard him say in a sneering tone,

"You better not be, Mudblood."

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><p><strong>AN: Reviews? :)**


	4. Confrontation

**Author's Note: **I know I know, I suck! I've been slacking big time in updating this story! I'm really sorry! It's just that, as I mentioned in the last chapter, I've been focusing most of my energies with "Starting Anew" that this one usually gets shafted. I'll try harder to update it faster but no promises.

**Disclaimer**: J.K. Rowling owns it all. I only own this plot.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 4: Confrontations <strong>

She was still a bit shaken with her encounter with Malfoy as she made her way towards Transfiguration. That little encounter was unexpected to say the least. Ever since he had been avoiding her like the plague, the last thing she counted on was him calling her out on her staring. It was embarrassing and mortifying.

She vowed to herself right after to ignore him more fully, lest she give him fuel to his ridiculous insinuations that she was infatuated with him. The nerve of that git! Like she would be bloody obsessed with him!

_That's it_, she fumed, _no more thinking about ferret boy!_

As she reached her table, she slammed her book bag with such force that her classmates turned to see her in surprise.

"What's got her wand in a knot?" someone whispered from the back of the class.

"Maybe she got an Exceeds Expectations on a paper?" someone else replied. The rest of her peers snickered softly.

She turned towards the crowd that had made the comments and scowled. Typical. It had to be Ravenclaws. Quickly, the sniggering stopped and they sat up straighter. It seemed that the last thing they wanted to do was infuriate the teacher's pet. Or maybe it was because she was a Prefect and able to reduce House points.

Whatever the reason, she was happy to see that she still held some authority and stopped their amusement outright.

With a sigh, she turned back to her book bag, getting her assignment and materials out while she took her seat.

_Today is definitely not my day_, she thought glumly, _and it's not even noon._

* * *

><p>As she made her way out of Transfiguration, she froze in her tracks. This time, however, Ron was leaning against the wall across the classroom door with his arms crossed and a frown fixed on his face. He was currently staring at the floor.<p>

With one look at him, Hermione knew exactly what he was thinking about. And from the looks of it, she knew that he was waiting for her. Ron was usually one of the first people to head towards the Great Hall when food was concerned. So his waiting for her was completely out of character. And exactly what she was dreading.

Despite feeling like her stomach just plummeted to her knees, Hermione slowly made her way to Ron. He raised his eyes as he heard her approach and his frown changed to anxiousness while one of his hands grabbed at his backpack strap and the other went to his hair.

"Hi," she said softly when she stood in front of him.

"Hey," he replied, "can we talk before we head to lunch? Privately?"

With a sigh, she nodded weakly and gestured with a hand for him to lead the way.

He moved away from the wall and began to walk towards the now empty classroom and opened the door.

"Ladies first," he said with a small smile.

She walked in with slight hesitation and made her way to a chair as Ron shut the door while casting a silencing charm. She knew this was coming but she had hoped that they could have talked after lunch. That way, she wouldn't feel light-headed or sick as she did now. But that was pointless to wish for. She was here now and a decision would be made, whether she was ready or not.

When he turned and saw her sitting, he grabbed a nearby chair and dragged it towards her. He sat across from her.

Though they were now facing face to face, Hermione shifted her gaze to the floor. It unnerved her that Ron was staring at her so openly and still didn't make the move to speak.

They sat in silence for what seemed to be an eternity when finally Ron broke it.

"You know," he began, "I never thought you to be a coward."

Her head snapped up in surprise but she still didn't say anything.

"I mean, bloody hell, is it so hard to give a straight answer?"

"No," she replied quickly.

"Well, obviously it is."

"Ron, look. I'm sorry I-"

"Hold on. I'm not done."

She clamped her mouth shut and lowered her gaze again. Guess she should hear him out.

"If you are having second thoughts, then please just tell me so. This avoiding act that you've been pulling all morning is bloody annoying and immature, which is not like you. Especially since you are usually a very direct and honest person. This has been frustrating to say the least. So, let's get this over with already. Do you or do you not like me anymore?"

She stared at him as a frown marred her brow.

"Of course I like you. Or else, why would we be friends?"

He groaned as he rubbed his hands over his forehead and through his hair.

"You know exactly that that's not what I mean," he said in annoyance while fixing his eyes on her. "Don't go around the bush here."

She grimaced. He was right, of course.

"Let's try this again: do you or do you not fancy me anymore?"

"Ron, I-" and she stopped herself before continuing. What can she say? _I'm sorry, I'm not sure how I feel about you now since our common nemesis kissed me?_

No, most definitely not. Besides, she had already told herself to stop thinking about that _and _him! And even if she did tell him, Ron would pummel that ferret without a second thought. An act that was completely unnecessary and unwarranted.

She took a deep breath before trying again and took one of his hands in hers. She looked into his eyes and held in a groan. He looked just as confused as she. And a little hurt.

_I'm the cause of that_, she thought sadly.

"Ron, I am sorry for my current behavior. You're right. I have been acting very immature and insensitive. And you have every right to be upset."

She waited for Ron to say something or to agree, but he didn't. He just stared right back at her, waiting for more. So she squeezed his hand and continued.

"You probably already know this or suspected, but I've always liked you; More than friends." She blushed at her admittance but continued. "You're so affable, congenial and funny, even when you don't mean to be. And you're my best friend, despite our petty fights every once in a while. But…the thing is…I am no longer sure of my feelings for you."

At her confession, he frowned at her but still remained quiet. Slowly, he removed his hand from hers as he sat back in his chair. She in turn felt helpless and a little dejected by his movement, but she too sat back and plowed on.

"I honestly don't know why or how this happened but, I just don't want to lead you on if I no longer feel the same as you."

They stayed quiet for a while, as her confession hung in the air. The tension was so thick and suffocating despite the big size of the classroom and Hermione had to fight her need to escape.

_Just wait a little more_, she thought, _don't be a coward again_.

Finally, Ron cleared his throat and stood quickly from the chair, looking anywhere but her. She stood up as well, right after him.

"Right," he replied as he settled the chair he sat in back in place, "so that's a no then."

"Ron, please…" she began as she followed after him.

"No, no. It's fine. Thank you for your honesty."

"Ron-"

"Listen," he said as he shifted his gaze to her, "I really appreciate you finally giving me a straight answer. And you're right. It's not fair to you or me to get involved in a relationship when one of us is unsure."

"I'm still your friend," she pleaded fervently, "your best friend. Never forget that."

A small sad smile graced his lips. "Yeah, I know."

"Okay…"

He then made to shuffle towards the door but Hermione grabbed one of his arms desperately as he walked by her.

"Are we okay?" she asked warily.

"Yeah…though just give me some space for a few days. My ego's a bit bruised," he admitted.

She cringed a little by his bluntness and released his arm.

"Alright,"she said with a sad smile.

He gave her a small nod in reply and began to walk towards the door.

When the door closed, she sat back down on the chair and closed her eyes, placing her elbows on her knees and cradling her head.

Their meeting went better than she expected, but she still felt terrible. In a way, she felt like a Machiavellian person that just played with someone's high regard and seemingly threw it in the trash.

_It's for the best. You did the right thing_, she told herself, _why lead him on if you're no longer on the same page?_

After a few more minutes of self pity and deprecation, she rose from the chair and headed towards her dorm room.

She no longer felt hungry.

* * *

><p>Lunch was about to wrap up in twenty minutes and Draco tried his best to finish quickly without shoveling his food into his mouth. He had much to do before he headed over to his Arithmancy class and he didn't want anyone interfering with what he planned to do.<p>

Ever since he received those worse for wear news from his Father and his consequent outburst, Draco resolved that morning to do the best he could to help find a cure for his mother. He figured that despite his father's contacts and research that he himself should contribute. He had to do something instead of letting his mother get worse while he sat there idle or get depressed.

Before going to bed last night, he came up with a plan to talk to Madame Pince. He will explain that he needs references for a research project in order for her to guide him to the appropriate sections. Hopefully, the old bat won't give him a hard time or ask too many questions and leave him to his own devices.

He didn't want anyone to know his real motives. The less people knew or heard about his mother's current predicament, the better. He didn't need their pity.

Just as he finished shoving a roll into a pocket of his robes, he looked up as the doors of the great hall opened and saw the weasel king walk in with a dejected look on his face as he shuffled towards his House table.

_Well, that's new_, Draco thought in surprise.

He then scanned the Gryffindor table and saw that Granger was not there. He frowned. Why was he even looking for that Mudblood? Better yet, why did he even care that the weasel was looking depressed? This should actually brighten his day.

He shook his head then and got up from the table. But before he could walk out, he cringed as he heard Pansy call out, "You're leaving already?"

He turned back, keeping his expression blank.

"Yes, I have things to do," he said and turned back towards the door. But again, before he could take a step, she screeched, "But you haven't even finished your pudding!"

He turned back now with a scowl. "What are you, my bloody keeper? I don't want any. Now stop pestering me!"

Before she could say more, he walked out with long strides and headed towards the library. He hated when Pansy tried to act concern for him. They weren't even dating anymore for Salazar's sake!

Speaking of their dating past, he kind of regretted leading her on for so long. He may have had a willing shag from her every once in a while but her clinginess for six months was not worth it. He didn't even really like her that much if he was being honest. He mostly dated her because she made him feel good. I mean, what kind of bloke can resist a witch that throws herself at you so willingly? And despite the other admiring glances he would get from other girls, he liked being told that he was needed.

But after a few months into their relationship, he realized that she didn't have much else to offer except physical release. She had no personality, couldn't keep a decent conversation with him to save her life and she was very shallow. She was also so easy to manipulate.

It was all of these things that made him lose interest in her quickly. He hated when a girl was so damn accommodating. And that's what Pansy was, very bloody accommodating. It disgusted him. So he broke up with her one day, telling her she bore him.

And as expected, she threw a major fit and wailed about what she could do to be better for him. At first, he felt a little pang of guilt. But after a few minutes of watching her cry her eyes out and hearing her screech, he stood bored, unrelenting, resolved and blank faced. By then, he only pitied her for making such a fuss.

It took a few weeks after their break up before she finally left him alone. Nevertheless, even now, she still threw him longing looks and tried to mother him occasionally. He guessed that was the best he could do to keep his distance from her. And he also hated that despite not being together, she still felt the right to know his every move. It annoyed and frustrated him to no end. And if she didn't stop soon, he would make sure to snap at her about it. He was no longer her bloody business.

He shook his head again and continued with his determined walk towards the library. He had better things to be thinking about and Pansy shouldn't be one of them.

Just as he round the corner however, he crashed into someone hard. He even heard the person yelp as they both crashed to the floor.

"Watch where you're going!" he growled as he got up and picked up his book bag. As he dusted his robes, he looked up and froze.

Of course, it had to be her. He frowned more deeply as he dusted himself harshly.

"I'm sorry! I-oh, it's you again," she said with a sigh. Great. Just who she needed to see right after talking to Ron.

"Granger, what the hell? Why are you still stalking me?" he sneered.

She scowled and she dusted her robes. "I'm not stalking you! You're the one that decided to tackle me!"

"Right, because I wanted you under me. Please!"

At his comment, she blushed a furious shade of red. How dare he?

"Must you be so crude?" she snapped as she picked up her bag.

"Yes," he replied with a shrug. And then a thought occurred to him and he frowned. "Shouldn't you be at lunch?"

"I'm not hungry," she sniffed, "what do you care?"

"I don't," he said and began his walk towards the library again. But before he got too far, he turned back towards her and said, "Just remember what I said, Granger."

She scoffed, "You're delusional if you really think I'm obsessed with you."

He smirked, "I'm just speaking the truth."

"Ha! Speaking the truth. Now that's a foreign concept for you if I ever heard one."

He frowned in response but didn't say anything. Meanwhile, Granger decided that she'd had enough and continued her walk towards the opposite direction with her back squared and her steps secure and strong.

As he saw her disappear in the distance, his temperament flared as he replayed her last remark in his head.

The nerve of that bint to call him a liar! Sure, he would manipulate the truth or exaggerate it. Maybe even bend it a bit. But he wasn't a liar! Not outright.

Anyway, why did he care? Why was he now giving this Mudblood a portion of his thoughts?

_Get over it, Draco!_ he reprimanded himself.

That's the fourth time an unimportant thought had crossed his mind. He shouldn't even be giving it a second thought. Who gave a fuck about what she thought about him anyway? That bloody swot can think whatever she liked. He didn't honestly care.

_Mother's health. That's my only priority,_ he thought as he took a deep breath to calm himself.

And with that thought back in his mind, he began walking again towards the library.

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><p><strong>AN: I know the ending kind of dragged but the next chapter shall pick up again. Promise. Anyway, please review! :)**


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